| St Charles Church .org |  |
|||||
| News & Events | Faith | Ministries | Parish | Volunteer | Help | Contact Us |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
Please go to the Pax Christi site, www.paxchristiusa.org/news_events_more.asp?id=225, for a complete set of the email transcripts, a sample of which appears below.
"One of our parishioners, Dennis Warner, the Northern Virginia coordinator for Pax Christi, the Catholic social justice movement, has joined up for a two-week assignment with International Solidarity Movement, a non-profit peace organization in the Middle East. ISM attempts to discourage the application of violence by all parties in the solution to the Middle East
crisis by placing peace volunteers in the midst of tense environments. Through this witness for non-violence, ISM works to encourage the opportunities for a peaceful, negotiated solution.Clearly there are other possible strategies for a peaceful solution in the Middle East that can and should be supported to the extent they are consistent with Catholic social teaching in action."
--Gail Goodridge
----- Original Message -----
From: Dennis B. Warner
To: <distribution>
Sent: Thursday, May
02, 2002 6:46 AM
Subject: Report from Jerusalem
Dear Candy,
I am sending this message to a number of other people to inform them of
the situation here.
This morning the blockade of the Presidential Compound in Ramallah was
lifted and the people inside, including Yassir Arafat, were free to leave.
At the same time, there was a firefight at the Church of the Nativity in
Bethlelem last night. Because the siege of the church and the town
continues, the International Solidarity Movement will be conducting a
direct action at the church this afternoon. In about 30 minutes I will travel
with around 15 volunteers to Bethlehem to participate in this action. The
purpose of the action is to deliver some badly needed food supplies to the monks
and Palestinians barricaded inside the church and to put several, perhaps 4
or
5, international volunteers inside the church. The people in the church
have had llittle or no food for the past 10 days. They also have no water or
electicity.
The presence of internationals
in the church is believed to provide a
measure of protection to the Palestinians taking refuge there. Experience
has shown that when internationals are present, the level of violence,
human rights abuses and general danger decreases. ISM wants to place seveal
international volunteers in the church to reduce the risk of the
Palestinians, and by implication all others, being killed by Israeli
snipers, heavy weapons firs, or even a storming of the church by Israeli
troops.
It should be said that not all peace activists sgree with this
particular
dirct action. I met today with Fr. Raed A. Abusahlia, the Chancellor of
the
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. You know, of course, that Monsignor
Michel
Sabbah, the President of Pax Christ International, is the Latin Patriarch.
Fr Raed believes that putting internationals into the Church of the
Nativity
at this time will have the adverse effect of prolonging the Israeli siege
of
the church. He would prefer waiting a few days to see how the current
negotiations over the presence of the Israeli military in Bethlehem turn
out. He would prefer that any direct action be limited to the delivery of
some food, rather than going on to putting internationals intop the
church.
It is said that the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) is very nervous at this
time.
In any event, most observers of the situation say it is a time of great
uncertainty and few are willing to venture confident opinions on how
things will evolve.
I will be travelling with the ISM group and will act as a legal observer
to their action. My task will be to observe the events associated with the
attempt at direct action and to note any violations of legaL or human
rights should they occur. The other members of the ISM groups will attempt
various ways to pass the Israeli troops, barbed wire, fences and other blockages
of the route to deliver the food and enter the church. They are an
interesting collection of people - mostly young (20-25) - mostly males (although
three
young women and a man arrived from the UK last night to join the group)-
in general passionate about the injustices inflicted upon the Palestinians -
and mostly driven by concerns for human rights rather than a faith-based
concern.
There is some risk on this action. That includes arrest, incarceration
and deportation. Those who are plpanning to enter the church have tried to
organize their personal property so that others can take care of it in the
event they are arrested and deported. There is some risk of injury from
the
soldiers, but most of the volunteers feel reasonably safe since little
violence has affected internationals in the past.
That's it. I must go now.
Nakupenda.
Dennis
----- Original Message -----
From: Dennis B. Warner
To: <distribution>
Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2002 4:03 PM
Subject: International Peace Makers Enter Bethlehem Church of the Nativity
Jerusalem, 2 May 2002, 22:30
hours. At 17:40 hours this afternoon a group
of international peace activists of the International Solidarity Movement
(ISM) successfully evaded Israeli military patrols and entered the Church of
the Nativity in Bethlehem. This was the second time in four days that the
ISM attempted to breach the Israeli military siege of the church to bring
sorely-needed food supplies to the 100+ people taking refuge in this holiest
of Christian shrines.
On Monday, 29 April, members of the ISM reached the door of the church
before they were forcefully pulled away before they could enter. This
afternoon they not only reached the interior of the church with supplies of
rice, flour, salt and sweets but left ten of their party in the church to
share the confinement with the resident monks who oversee the operations of
the church and a large number of Palestinians who had fled to the church for
protection during the Israeli invasion a month ago. A jounalist for the Los
Angeles Times also joined with the group and remained in the church with the
ISM members.
On this second penetration of the military cordon around the church, a
primary purpose was to put international peace activists in the structure to
underscore to the international community the severity of the conditions
there and the illegality of the Israeli military occupation of the city of
Bethlehem.
The ten ISM activists included five Americans, one Briton, one Dane, one
Swede, one Irish and one Canadian. Three of these are women.
The entry to the church began at 17:40 hours when three ISM groups
totalling 23 activists approached the structure from three directions.
Crossing Manger Square at a steady but rapid walk, they reached the door of
the church which was briefly opened at their arrival. The Israeli troops
stationed around the church and Manger Square appeared to be taken by
surprise and were unable to intercept the activists before they had
successfully crossed the square. Fortunately, no shots were fired and no
tear gas or stun grenades were used by the Israeli troops.
Thirteen ISM members remained outside the church where they were
immediately detained and arrested by the military. This group included five
Americans, three Britons and 2 Swedes. Again, three members of the detained
group were women. A number of mobile telephone calls by the detained
activists indicated that they were not mistreated but being held by Israeli
authorities for questioning. As of this report, no word has been given of
the fate of the detainees. ISM organizers believe that the detainees may
face deportation from Israel.
The ten ISM activists intend to remain in the church until the military
siege is lifted. Before beginning this action, ISM organizer, Ms Huwaida
Arraf, one of the current detainees, expressed the hope that the presence of
international observers in the church will help deter the Israeli military
from firing into the structure. Over the past several weeks, several Israeli
assaults against the church have been attempted. The most recent attack
occured last night and resulted in two fires in the church and, according ot
the Mayor of Bethlehem, one Palestinian killed and two wounded.
Following the breach of the military cordon, a group of ISM members who
had remained at the barricades compiled lists of activists in the church and
in Israeli military custody. Names and passport numbers were reported to the
consulates and embassies of the countries from which the activists came. In
addition, information was given to the score or more of international press
corps present at the scene.
This action occurred on the same day that the military siege of the
Presidential Compound at Ramallah was lifted.
The International Solidarity Movement is a Palestinian-based organization
dedicated to non-violent resistance to Israeli occupation. Founded two years
ago, it encourages international peace activists to come to Palestine to
provide non-violent support to the Palestinian resistance.
(Written by Dennis B. Warner of Falls Church, Virginia, representing Pax Christi
USA in support of ISM.)
Revised/reviewed May 7, 2002